Oil cup for air compressors



Sept. 30 .1924. 1,509,895

W. A. BALMANNO .OIL CUP FOR AIR COMPRBSSORS Filed March 30, 1922WiZZZa/mAfiwZman/w W TNESS ATTORNE' Patented Sept. 30, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. BALMANNO, F ALBUQUERQUE, NETN' MEXICO.

OIL- CUP FOR AIR GOMPRESSORS.

Application filed March 30, 1922. Serial No.' 542,061,.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. BAL- MANNO, a citizen of New Mexico,residing at Albuquerque, New Mexico, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Oil Cups for Air Compressors, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to lubricating devices and has for its object theprovision of an oil cup designed for use upon air com pressors, theconstruction being such that oil within the reservoir portion of thedevice will be subjected to constant pressure, which pressure willoperate to force out oil automatically on the down stroke or workingstroke of the compressor and consequently keep all the parts thoroughlylubricated.

An important object is the provision of a device of this character whichis so constructed that adjustment may be made to regulate the quantityof oil fed to the compressor at each stroke.

An additional object is the provision of a device of this characterwhich will be simple and inexpensive in manufacture, highly efficient inuse, positive in action, durable in service, and a general improvementin the art.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, the inventionconsists in the details of construction to be hereinafter more fullydescribed and claimed and illustrated in the accompanying drawings inwhich- Figure 1 is a side elevation of a portion of the air compressorshowing my device associated therewith.

Figure 2 is a longitudinal sectional view through the device.

Figure 3 is a cross sectional view, the view being taken on the line 3-3of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a cross section on the line 1 a of Figure 2.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, the letter A designates thecylinder of an air compressor with which my device is designed to beassociated for the purpose of lubricating the same. In carrying out myinvention I provide a cylindrical shell-like body which has one endreduced, as at 11, and externally threaded for engagement within asuitable hole in the compressor cylinder. This reduced portion leads toan eX- tension 12 which is formed with a plurality of openings ofdifferent sizes and shapes for the outlet of oil and is also internallythreaded, as shown. The larger portion of the body 10 constitutes areservoir for oil and has its upper portion externally threaded forengagement thereon of a closure cap 14 which has an air-tight fit. Thebottom of this reservoir portion is preferably of inverted conical shapeand is provided with a relatively small hole 15 which leads into aslightly enlarged chamber 16 at the lower end of which is formed a valveseat 17.

Extending through the hole 15, chamber 16, and valve seat 17, into thereservoir portion of the device, is a hollow valve stem 18 whichterminates short of the cap 14- and which is formed intermediate itsends with a valve 19 cooperating with the seat 17 and which is alsoformed near its lower end with a collar 20 for a purpose to bedescribed. Screwed into the extension 12 is a plug 21 having a centralhole 22 for the passage of the stem 18 and this plug is formed with arecess 28 in which is engaged one end of a coil spring 24 whichencircles the stem and which has its other end engaging against thevalve 19.

The body is of course filled with oil and the cap 14 is screwed intoplace tight. \Vhen the compressor makes the upstroke, air under pressurepasses through the hollow stem 18 into the reservoir and subjects theoil therein to pressure, which forces the oil by the stem 18 owing tothe fact that this stem has its opposite sides slightly flattened, asindicated at 25, for the purpose of providing a loose fit. The oilseeping by the stem or forced by it, passes into and collects within thechamber 16. During this upstroke of the compressor the valve 19 isseated on account of the action of the spring 24. On the ordinary strokeof the compressor the suction through the openings 13 in the eX- tension12 causes the valve 19 to be unseated against the resistance of thespring, thereby permitting the oil within the chamber 16 to pass out anddown into the compressor or pump. By regulating the plug 21 so as tovary the distance between the bottom of the recess 23 therein and thecollar 20, it will be apparent that the longitudinal movement of thestem may be regulated so as to vary the rapidity of the oil feed as inactual practice it is preferable that about one drop of oil be suppliedto the compressor at each complete stroke.

.lishing communication From the foregoing description and a study of thedrawings it will be apparent that I have thus provided a simplyconstructed and easily installed lubricating cup which worksautomatically and which will effectively operate to supply lubricant toa 7 pump, compressor engine, or the like without requiring anyattentionother than filling when the oil supply becomes depleted.

While I have shown and described the preferred embodiment of myinvention, it is of course to be understood that I reserve the right tomake such changes in the form, construction and arrangement of parts aswill not depart from the spirit of the invention or the scope of thesubjoined claims.

What is claimed is;

1, A lubricator of the character described comprising a receptacleformed with a reduced threaded extension for screwing engagement withina hole in a cylinder, a removable cover for the receptacle, thereceptacle being adapted to contain oil and having its lower portionformed with a chamber and a valve seat located between the chamber andthe main body and estabbetween the interior ofthc body and said chamber,the wall of said chamber portion being formed with openings, a tubularstem located axially of the receptacle and extending below said chamber,said tubular stem having its intermediate portion enlarged to define avalve for closing said seat, a plug screwed into the lower end of thechamber and having a bore through which said tubular stem isslidable,.and a spring encircling said stem and bearing against the topof the plug and the underside of the valve for holding the valve seated,said plug being rotatably adjustable whereby to regulate the tension onsaid spring.

2. A lubricator of the character described comprising a receptacleformed with a reduced threaded extension for screwing cngagenient withina hole in a cylinder, :1 rc movable cover for the receptacle, thereceptacle being adapted to contain oil and having its lower portionformed with a chamber and a valve seat located between the chamber andthe main body and establishing communication between the interior of thebody and said chamber, the wall of said chamber portion being formedwith openings, a tubular stein located axially of. the receptacle andextending below said chamber, said tubular stem having its intermediateportion enlarged to define a valve for closing said seat, a plug screwedinto the lower end of the chamber and having a bore through which saidtubular stem is slidable, and a spring encircling said stem and bearingagainst the top of the plug and the underside of the valve for holdingthe valve seated, said stein being tapered above the valve, and theportion of the receptacle between the main body thereof and the valveseat being "Formed with an opening of Sllllstantially the samedian'icter as the maximum dian'ictcr of the stem whereby said last namedopening will be gradually decreased in size when said valve is moveddownwardly.

In testimony whereof I afiix' my signature.

VILLIAM. A. BALMA NNO.

